The Tarantula “Death Curl”

My A. insubtilis tarantula after succumbing to DKS. It’s been flipped on its back, but this is the standard tarantula “death curl”.

The “death curl” … What is it?

Perhaps no phrase causes more fear and confusion for those new to the hobby than that of the dreaded “death curl”. I follow several tarantula message boards and at least once a week, a panicked keeper will come on asking how to save his/her dying pets. In some cases, it’s the real deal, and the animal passes away or is saved by quick intervention. In others, photos of the T reveal that the specimen was never in a “death curl” at all, and that the keeper misidentified an innocuous position as something more deadly.

When most tarantulas die, they don’t flop onto their backs as many believe (this is actually a MOLT!), or just stop what they are doing and die in a normal legs spread position. In the majority of instances, their legs curl beneath them in a very unmistakable position, one that hobbyists refer to as a “death curl”.

To see what this looks like, make a spider with your hand by arching your fingers and putting your fingertips on a hard surface like feet. Now, loosely curl in your fingers until your thumb and fingertips are touching and your hand is resting on your third knuckles. Congrats! Your hand is now doing a “death curl”.

My H. villosella sling in an ICU after I found it in a death curl. Unfortunately, it did not make it.

Now, tarantulas are known to rest in all sorts of strange and sometime awkward positions, and unfortunately, a few of these normal postures can resemble a curl. Finding a T in this position can throw those new to the hobby into hysterics as they worry that their prized pet is checking out. For example, a stressed tarantula will often pull all of its legs up close to its body so that its knees cover its face and carapace. This position in particular freaks out many a keeper and, unfortunately, usually leads the concerned owner to takes steps (like moving the animal, spraying it, or poking it) that will only lead to more stress.

This tarantula above is NOT in a “death curl”, but is bringing its knees up over its head because it’s stressed after a rehousing. A special thanks to Caroline Dellinger for letting me use her photo!

My mature male H, incei gold after dying of old age. Notice how the legs are curled completely beneath his body.

H. incei gold mature male in a death curl. Notice how the legs are curled beneath the animal.

A side view of a death curl (an H. incei gold mature male). Notice again how the legs curl beneath the specimen’s body.

The death curl can occur when the tarantula is either too weak from sickness or old age, has sustained an injury leading to the loss of hemolymph (the tarantula’s “blood”), or is dehydrated. If these instances are severe enough, the spider will have difficulty maintaining the pressure required to keep its legs outstretched, and its limbs will start curling in underneath it.

For a tarantula entering a death curl-like position, all hope may not be lost. Although for some specimens, the curl might signify an irreversible, natural death, for others it could serve as a last chance warning sign that action is needed. If you suspect that your tarantula is in the “death curl”, here are a few a few question you should immediately ask yourself:

Is the species old or a mature male? Although many species are long-lived, they all eventually die. Also, mature males of many species generally don’t live for too long after their ultimate molts, and some folks are surprised when a seemingly vibrant and energetic adult T suddenly curls up and dies. Many folks also buy supposed adult “female” tarantulas from local pet stores only to discover later that they are matured males on the last legs of their lives. Always take age and sex into consideration first.

Has the T been injured? Accidental loss of a limb or a fall from a large height can lead to injury, bleeding, and death. So can a particularly bad molt. Examine the species to see if there is any milky white fluid (hemolymph) leaking from its joints or its abdomen. If so, you can try clotting the wound using corn starch, then put the animal in an ICU (a smaller container with moist paper towels, access to drinking water, and a little extra warmth if possible).

Is the animal possibly dehydrated? This is common one, and one that can be prevented or fixed if caught soon enough. A dehydrated spider will begin to go into a death curl as it lacks the fluids to maintain proper pressure. Slings are particularly susceptible to dehydration as they are not able to hold their fluids as well as their juvenile and adult counterparts. Those who use heat lamps or other direct heat measures on their T enclosures also run the risk of baking the animal, thus dehydrating it. If you suspect your T is dehydrated, get it into an ICU immediately. Most will bounce back after they get some fluids. And if the animal was dehydrated, then its time to reexamine your husbandry.

There are obviously other ailments that can lead to a tarantula death curling (mites and nematodes are sometimes mentioned), but the three options listed above are the most likely.

And, as a friendly reminder…

IF IT IS ON ITS BACK, IT IS NOT DEAD OR IN A DEATH CURL!

That’s right, this is normal behavior; this is the position they get in to molt.

DO NOT touch a spider in this position.

DO NOT flip over a spider in this position.

DO NOT throw away, flush, or bury a spider in this position.

DO NOT blow on it.

DO NOT spray it with water.

DO leave it alone and let it complete the exhausting task of molting in peace. Molting is a natural occurrence for a tarantula, but it is also a period where they are quite vulnerable. Any fiddling with the animal could prove deadly to the T.

My A. schmidti on her back and ready to molt. Note: this T is NOT dead!

If you have a further question about whether or not your tarantula may be in a death curl, try a Google Image search for “tarantula death curl” and compare. Or, visit Tarantula Forum or Arachnoboards to seek the advise and opinions of other keepers.

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108 thoughts on “The Tarantula “Death Curl””

Hmm I bought a little baby T, probably some kind of curly hair for $1 hah! Such a deal, too bad I didn’t know how to care of one.. Neither did the seller teach me anything. I guess it died of dehydration… Poor thing, it’s in spidey heaven now eating cricket cookies or whatever.

Awwww…what a shame. Unfortunately, some folks (and pet stores) will sell Ts with either no care information or the wrong care information. Both can be equally as deadly for the animal. If you decide to get another T, please feel free to drop me a line with any questions!

Well, more bad news a few months later, which is today. I also bought a little G.Rosea for 10$– fed it a cricket every now and then for the following weeks, left a bottle cap size “dish” for the water, anyways last night I saw the spider on its back. I thought GREAT I get to see the dang spider actually molt and I missed the other two molting process. But oh well, looks like it died on its back… Much like the one in your picture. When it started the T was really looking like it was stretching and twitching and moving back and forth, if anything I would say it was like looking at a turtle stuck on its back. Also if you remember anything about your dying tarantulas, my T that’s dying had a drop of fluid or maybe water forming on its fangs.
Another note I did fed it a cricket from the outside, I saw the tarantula pounce on it and there was a bit of a struggle and then everything should be okay for the spider. Though what are the chances of the spider eating a cricket and then dying 2 days later. What a shame, I was hoping to see this spider grow to at least 2 inch.

Did this one possibly die from dehydration, too (isn’t that how that last sling died?).

How was the T kept? If it was in its water bowl, was there water in it?

T’s that are molting/premolt appreciate a little extra humidity. If he was in the bowl, it’s very possible that he was dehydrated. Although he ate a cricket, it’s likely that the prey item didn’t have enough moisture in it to help with a successful molt.

Are you sure it’s dead? I would try to move the legs and carefully put a drop of water in its mouth parts. It’s possible it could be brought back.

I have lost three slings. One was impacted with feces, one died for no apparent reason (it had water and it had just eaten), and a third I’m pretty sure died due to my negligence when it’s enclosure got too dry. It does happen, but I always try to learn from the experiences.

Hi,
I saved a T from a negligent cousin who left her container open, only for Little Red Rump to get out and fall from a really high height (I would think it it almost fully grown – cousin got it from a friend who got irritated because said T was aggressive…) Anyhow, by the time I took possession of it, it had already lost one limb and the abdomen was dwindling. I tried to rehydrate it but in the meantime it has lost another limb and is not eating. I have no idea how to save this creature and if it’s even possible. It looks terrible! Any advice would be helpful??

Did the fall just happen, or was this a while before you took possession of the tarantula?

Is the tarantula currently leaking fluid from either the missing limb or abdomen?

How did it lose the second leg?

Sorry for all of the questions; I’m just trying to fully understand what happened.

If the fall happened a while ago, it wouldn’t still be bleeding out. Having fallen from more than a few inches, it’s possible that it injured itself internally, which is why it’s not eating and losing abdomen size.

My rose hair went into a molting position with her legs curled in. She’s been in that position for 4 days now. I VERY GENTLY picked her up and laid her right side up and her legs with to normal but she did not make any movement. Also her rump is very soft. She isn’t stiff or anything. Is she dead????

With her leg span, she was the size of a man’s hand. She was a decent size. Before she went into the molting position, when she would walk she flicked her legs and ran around like she couldn’t see anything. It was weird. Also I just inspected her and she has a small hard spot on her abdomen. Like a think scar or scab texture??

They refer to those symptoms where they seem to lose all coordination as DKS. It can be caused by several things, including severe temperatures (hot or cold), exposure to chemicals, or exposure to pesticides. I have yet to hear of a tarantula that survived after showing these symptoms. The one in the video was mine, and it died a couple days later. Do you have any other pets? Would the complex warn you before spraying?

I have a cat and a dog. My fiance sad that the complex would have told us if they were to do that due to our dog being on the “aggressive” list. I hate that she had to suffer though. she had been acting like that for a few weeks though, so idk what it could have been for sure.

Did you, perchance, treat your dog or cat with some type of flea and tick prevention? Sorry for all of the questions; I just know when mine died, I wracked my brain to try and figure out what happened.

It’s ok. I appreciate the help. I’m wracking my brain too!! My dog is a large jack Russell mix. I haven’t treated him or my cat for fleas in about 3 months due to fleas dying off in my area for the season.

When my tarantula died, I had 40 others that had no issues. It was an isolated case, but it bothered me because I wanted to know WHY it happened. The only thing I could come up with is that it had trouble with a molt a couple weeks earlier.

Jack Russells are on the list? Wow! I know they can be spirited, but I’m kind of surprised that they are on the aggressive list.

Tom, I have a Rose haired T.she’s about 18yrs old. She’s molted several times over the years. I have noticed in that’s 2+ years she had stopped building a “feeding web”, that’s what I call it, that’s when I know she’s hungry. Can you tell me why she’s stopped?? Thanks

Has she been rehoused recently? Is her old feeding mat still there? Is she still eating for you?

I honestly wouldn’t worry at all about it. Ts will build mats to help them sense when prey is nearby and to give them a safe place to eat, and they don’t lay them down before every meal.

My G. porteri is quite old as well (I’ve had her going on 20 years, and she was likely several years old when I got her) and she rarely throws down a feeding mat anymore. Some of the substrate is webbed up, and that seems to be enough for her. She eats fine and always finds the crickets/roaches no problem. She WILL occasionally drop prey and web it up a bit if I give her more than one item.

Unfortunately this just happened to my Gooty Sapphire. I have several juveniles in their own containers, placed in a 10 gallon tank with a heat pad on the side. My house is old so no matter what the heat is on, the rooms are cold. If I can’t use heat pads, and it’s not safe to run a heater in the room when no one is home, what other option is there to keep them warm?

Oh, man…so sorry for your loss. Yeah, unfortunately tarantulas have a tendency to hug heat sources (mats, rocks, ect.) until they become too dehydrated to move (then they die). Heating for them in older homes can be a bit of a chore if you don’t want to go the space heater route. The folks that I’ve heard successfully use heat mats with them will mount the heat mat on a shelf or wall behind one side of the enclosure, then use something as spacers to make sure that the cage stays a inch or so away from the actual mat. Or, they do what you did and heat a larger tank and put the smaller enclosures inside it. They’ll then use a rheostat to adjust the temp and carefully monitor how warm it gets inside the tank.

Are you sure it was the mat that killed your P. metallica? What other species are you keeping?

Hey! Can i get a help? My avic versicolor sling about a half inch dont eat for already 8days, i rehoused her due to a very wet substrate. After that shes not even moving and webbing. I know that avics molt in their webs, correct me if i’m wrong.What is the problem here? I dont really disturb her and I put mist every 2days in some side of the enclosure. Im getting stressed out of her not doing anything. Thanks

What are you currently keeping it in? What does the enclosure setup look like? GREAT idea rehousing her if the substrate was too moist. Most now believe that stuffy, moist enclosures is a death sentence for Avics. Avic WILL web, but they will do it more if you give them some fake plants and stuff to web to. They need anchor points for their webs, and the more you can give them, the better. Also, Ts can take several days to a few weeks to settle back in after being rehoused. She might just be settling in.

hello there, I have my choco golden knee, its been 4 days since I bought it, and she didn’t eat since then, she is 8 months old, almost 3-4in and she is always in the side of her cage, I don’t know what’s wrong because it’s my first time to have a T. Hope you can help me. Thanks

When you first get a tarantula, it can take them a couple weeks to settle in. During this time, they will often refuse food and climb the wall of their enclosures. So, this behavior is actually pretty normal.

That said, another thing that will make them climb is substrate that is too moist. Is the substrate dry?

Could you send me photos of the setup and your new tarantula to tomsbigspiders@outlook.com ? I could take a look at both the spider and the setup and tell you if it looks okay?

First off, I received the photo. You obviously did your homework as her setup looks fantastic. 🙂 I think that she’s probably still getting used to her new surroundings; it can take several weeks. She looks to be in great shape, so she can definitely go without eating for a long while. I had two chaco slings that were less than .5″ fast for over 5 months before, and they were fine. I would try offering food again once you catch her hanging out on the ground. Keep me updated! – Tom

My girlfriend’s rose hair just pasted. She was between 15 and 17 years old, so she had a good life. My question pertains to preserving her. My girlfriend wants her put in clear resin. I will not be able to get any untill tomorrow. Will I still be able to do so tomorrow?

Okay for about a day now my tarantula has tucked her legs underneath her under Alief she is a pink-toed tarantula I thought she might be getting ready to molt so we’ve left her alone she left one on the ground what looks like a mole that she had been walking around on the bottom of the terrarium for several days and now she’s curled up to and what appears to be a death cearl any suggestions she has 4 water sources so I do not believe she’s not dehydrated when she went under the lease last night she did kind of a twitching motion left her but stretched out in the air for a little bit appeared to be digging a burrow and then tucked her legs underneath her and she has not moved for about a day

I’m worried that my first response didn’t go through, so my apologies if you got my first reply…

How long have you had her for and how large is she? Is her substrate moiste or dry?

If she has water available then, like you said, you can probably rule out dehydration. They tend to get a bit lethargic when in premolt, so that could be what you are seeing. They can get very secretive during this time. Does she have foliage or cork bark to hide behind?

I don’t know if you can help at all my daughter has a spiderling has moulted once was fine yesterday and now it’s curled up its not moved st all I’ve taken it out and it’s on a moist cloth but it’s leg are right underneath so think it’s too late 😞 Am I right in thinking this? It hasn’t been eating lately either we got told by the pet shop that he just need the soil that was already in the container for him that was it

I have a baby t this morning I woke up to seeing her in a “death curl ” I had fed her the night before and had water for her I went to see her she moves her legs a bit but I really believe she’s passing

Hi we have a tarantula that was bleeding from its leg, I think we may be too late. We have glued the wound but she does not move. We but the front of her head in her water but we don’t know if she is drinking. What can we do ?

Hi, Lou. Usually when they are bleeding from a leg, they will purposely cast their leg off. They have “valves” up by where the legs connect to the carapace that they can close off to stop the bleeding. How large your T? How did it get injured?

I just bought my first T. It’s a pink toe, the past two days they were very active and doing really well and then last night my T laid on the bottom of the enclosure next to the water dish and I woke up this morning and it’s still there not moving or anything. I very gently touched her but she doesn’t appear to be moving I don’t know what to do.

Hey, Thank you so much for this guide.
I hope you can help me; I’m pretty sure my grammostola is dead. She went to the pool (which contained shallow water), laid down and didn’t move for a day. It wasn’t odd behaviour,but then I noticed she didn’t move at all- At first I thought it might be her time to molt, but she’s been in this position for at least 3 days. Can I conclude that she is dead?
Her abdomen seem to have shrunken in and when I tried to push her, gently (to confirm whether she was dead, as I haven’t heard of a molting taking 3 days), she’s all soft and limp.
She is dead, right? 😦

I have two tarantulas a rose hair adult and a juvenile A.Versicolor (3 years old). We lost power being out of town and temps dropped to 25 at night. I slowly brought them back to 70-75 degrees and in 10 mins the rose came back no problem yet my Versicolor will randomly move legs and fangs yet has not moved from her hiding spot and I don’t want to force her or stress her out so I’ve let her be yet it’s been 4 days and I don’t know what to do to help. I’ll do anything!
If you have any input or ideas it would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, man…a power outage during a cold day when I’m not home is one of my biggest fears! I’m so sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, A. versicolors are a bit less durable and resistant to cold, so I’m not surprised to hear that the low temps seem to have had a worse effect on her. How long was she in those temps?

You did the absolute right thing by slowly raising the temperatures up, and you’re right not to poke her. Honestly, there isn’t too much you can do right now unfortunately. I would allow her some more time to come out of it, make sure that she has water, and wait it out.

Is it possible that she’s in premolt? That would be an explanation for her behavior that didn’t involve the temps. Just a thought.

Tom, Thanks for your input but sadly she has passed. Her legs have curled in unnatural directions and her fangs are not in tight any longer. She has been in this position for 3 days. I keep trying to see if she in some state of hibernation/recovery yet my hopes are dwindling. Now my rose hair has lost the ability to “stick” to the side of the tank. She can no longer climb it’s the strangest thing. Have you ever witnessed this? Thanks, Toni

Terrestrial Ts like the rose hair are notoriously bad at climbing; they just aren’t built for it like arboreal species, so it’s not unusual for them to lose their purchase on glass. If she was having no problem before, I don’t know why she’d suddenly be slipping. Mine falls all the time, which is why I only give her about 6″ wall space from the substrate to the top. They can get injured when they fall.

My tarantula, a rose hair, is in the curl, completely unresponsive. It’s abdomen is very shrunken, afraid I didn’t give it fresh water often enough. After looking on different sites, one said for severely dehydrated tarantulas, to put their heads in the water but keep their abdomen out since that’s where it breathes from. I have done this, but no response in the last few minutes. Should I see it moving by now, meaning it’s probably too late? Or could it take longer?

Hi, Johnny. Is it moving at all? Unfortunately, it sounds like it might have passed. Usually if their abdomens are sunken in, that’s a sign that they are dead. Can you send me a photo to tomsbigspiders@outlook.com ? How long did you have it for? Was there any heat around?

Hey I recently rehoused my avic avic . She is in here but up in the corner at the top of the tank . In her hide position . Is she just stressed from the move . Or should I try and guidbher to her hollow bark .

The avics are notorious for making their webs as high ups as they can. I have two that completely ignored the cork bark and made their homes in the upper corner of their enclosures. It’s natural, if not very convenient. If you guide her to the bark, she will likely be back up to the top again the next morning. If you give her some time, she may make her way down.

Idk if my tarantula is dead or molding. She had alway molded on her back this time she has not moved and is in the same position with her legs curl underneath her. She’s older. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want her to suffer. Help!

Hi. So my T just recently took quite a fall off of my kitchen table during the process of cleaning its habitat. It is slightly smaller than a half dollar. I was able to place her back into her habitat but since then she has not been moving around very much at all. She still clings to my fingers but seems lethargic. She is not leaking any fluid what so ever. I was wondering if she could just be in shock or if there is a possibility of internal damage that might cause her to pass? Any suggestions would be very helpful.

Oh no! What species is she? Unfortunately, they can suffer internal damage from a high fall even if they don’t burst their abdomens or bleed. I would definitely keep an eye one her, although there isn’t too much you can do but wait it out. Sometimes when this happens, they will have a bad molt due to the unseen damage. If she stops eating, she may have a quick molt to fix herself. Keep water handy for her when that happens.

My sweet Gloria, scratched her back and started bleeding. It clotted, but she wants nothing to do with wet towels! ( I think she’s a she) I’m not sure why she started bleeding, I keep water in cage and crickets. What can I do to make her home more comfortable? I’ve had her for almost 2 years now.

hi my brothers rosed haired tarantula is on its top like its in the right position like a spider would be but its not moving at all we picked it up no movement but the body was still soft not hard meaning its not dead yet but we still dont know what happend i belive its a male and just about 4 years old

Hi, Daniel! How long have you had her for? What size is she? In my experience, my Poecilotheria species are voracious eaters and don’t usually fast. Can you send me some pics at tomsbigspiders@outlook.com ?

Okay I’m kind of relieved to read this! I don’t have any tarantulas yet but I saw one on its back at a reptile expo a couple weeks ago and I was sad that it had “died” like that and was a little disturbed that the vendor hadn’t noticed yet.

Thank you for your site, Tom! I was just at Wal-Mart this morning and saw some Sterilite containers with green handles and thought of you, but it turns out they aren’t the same as the ones you like(d?) lol.

Hello…wehave kept T’s for 3 years but took in 2 curly hairs the other day. Both are said to be 3 yrs old. Anyway ww put them in a divided 15 gallon aquarium with a piece of wood dividing them and a metal mesh lid like you buy at pet stores. They were good for 2 days ate like champs were wbbing a bit etc. so we went out for the day and when we came home we were horrified to see one of them attatched to the other. We thought the one that was smaller was dead but then saw it move. After about 10 minutes one let the other go with gentle prodding from a paint brush. We think it must have been able to somehow aqueeze between the wood and meah that has a bit of give to it! The injured T has a hole right next to his eye nor sure where else. We have him in an ICU tub but what wlaw can we do please. Thank you so muxh. I am devestated for this poor guy and shocked. Had no idea they could eacape like that

Oh, no…how terrible! Yeah, I got good advice from another keeper years ago who said to never try to subdivide an enclosure for tarantulas. I’m glad I abandoned the idea. I’m so very sorry to hear about this!

I don’t know how he is doing (I hope he pulled through) but a hole through the carapace is not good. When they are bleeding, the best way to stop it is to put corn starch on the wound (it helps it to clot).

My 5 year old tarantula was acting normal & eating very well until a week ago. She started acting agitated, and moved in a jerky fashion occasionally until one day I found her on her back. I thought she was molting, but after 2 days on her back she seemed to be getting dehydrated so I put her in icu. Her legs are still pretty active. I’ve kept the icu moist, and a little warmer than her tank. I have a tiny dropper to feed her water drops, but she’s still on her back after 5 days. Idk what else to do. 😦

Could she have possibly been exposed to pesticides or chemicals? Generally, when they show those signs of jerky movements, they don’t make it. 😦 The one in this video was mine, and she died shortly after.

my t died earlier today and it was behaving strangely before hand. it seemed to walk rigidly and had coordination problems. then it flipped o re on its back as if it was going to molt..shortly after I noticed fluid building up on its mouthparts and fangs….it then C ompletly stoped moving and seems dead…been several hours and not even a flench.. any ideas on cause?

That sounds very odd. Was the fluid around the mouth parts clear or milky? What you’re describing almost sounds like the symptoms known as DKS. This is when they lose coordination, move jerkily, and eventually die. It’s thought to be caused by a number of things, including chemical or pesticide exposure, exposure to extreme temps, and fungus. Was it fine before this?

the fluid was clear if memory serves. I was having a hard time feeding her for a while before hand so I thought that premolt was occurring. about a day maybe 2 before she fliped over she was jerky and uncoordinated.

I just added a Gooty and a Blue Baboon to our family 😊 I’m sure they were very stressed in the transfer. When should I try to feed them? And my pink toe molted 2 days ago, and hadn’t eaten for about a month in premolt , so when should I attempt to feed her as well? Any advice would be appreciated.

Congrats! Those are great spiders! 🙂 I usually wait a couple days after a rehousing before introducing food. That said, some won’t eat until they’ve settled in (created a burrow or webbed) so it can be a couple weeks. What size was the pink toe? I usually wait 4-5 days for slings and a week or more with juveniles or adults.

Im concerned about my spider, she has been in that position for about almost two weeks now, and has not moved out of that position, she is lying on her back with her legs open, but not moving at all it does not look like she is molting, it does not look like she is in a death curl either.
Could someone tell me what’s going on with her

We recently got a Chaco Golden knee. The first week we had her she was out a lot And roamed around her cage. For the last ten days or so she has burrowed herself and not come out at all. We read not to bother her, but how do we know if she is still alive? How long should you leave them alone? I can see the bottom of her burrow through the bottom of the cage. Will it stress her for me to look? I found it yesterday and checked this morning to see if she was ok, I figured she had to most or something… Will she mold in her burrow? She is in the EXACT spot and position last night as this morning… Also, she has not eaten …..

My first two Chaco golden knees started off as .3″ slings. Both buried themselves in October of the year I got them and didn’t emerge until April of the next year. No joke. I was absolutely convinced they had both died, as they did not eat or drink during this period, and I saw no signs of life. This is definitely a common behavior of this species. I definitely wouldn’t worry if it’s only been 10 days. 🙂 I know it’s difficult to appreciate, but they can (and will) bury themselves for quite some time, and it’s very normal. They are in no danger. What size is yours?

Hey, question about the death curl…..I had a b. albopilosum pass away on me a few months ago. I had worried it was due to a heat spike in the room (it was warm in there due to heat lamps for my snakes and room faced the sunny side, exact temp not known, but had to be close to 90, if not higher). But the way she died has me wondering even still if it was the heat or old age or what. See, I had shown her molt online to people and we all agreed she looked female, but I never did a second go on sexing when she got even bigger. She was 4 and half when she died. There were no real signs of her being sick, other than some weeks she wouldn’t eat. Anyhow, when I found her, she was literally stuck to the side of the enclosure in a death curl. Her abdomen was squishy and the rest was stiff. I had to pry her off the tank. I initially thought the heat got to her, then I worried she had dehydrated rapidly in the span of a day, but now I have been entertaining the idea that maybe she was really a male and just happened to die on a hot day or even the night before, as I hadn’t peaked in on her that morning before work. So, my question is, have you ever had (or heard of) a tarantula dying STUCK to the tank wall, and what your cause of death opinions might be? After the room got that hot (new house, so didn’t realize it would get that warm there) I quickly moved all animals to a cooler room that I can easily regulate the temps. I’m still leaning towards heat though….I feel just awful about it too. It was my very first T, raised from a sling and was such a sweetie.

Hello, Miranda! With temps that high, it likely died and started to decompose. With temps 90 or above, dehydration and death can occur very quickly…as can decomposition.

And it’s VERY possible that it was a male. That happens all of the time, and I usually get at least an email a month about tarantulas that mysteriously die that end up being males. It happened to me with my second tarantula. It took years for me to realize it was a male.

Thank you! I figured it was the heat from the get go. It was an unknown temp that was fairly high for 8-12 hours. I can only guess it was 90 or above by how hot it felt. And Aragog was squishy in the abdomen, so it had been a while for sure. But I had my doubts about female or male. I’m certain it was a sudden male death that took my pink toe 2 years ago too. Got it from a pet store, unknown age and sex. Never ate once, died 2 weeks later. I guess next time I get any slings I’ll have to do it the gambling way and get multiples and hopefully win the tarantula lottery. Lol ^_^